Method for storing food items within a refrigerator appliance

ABSTRACT

A method for storing food items within a refrigerator appliance is provided. The method includes placing a plurality of food items within a chilled chamber of the refrigerator appliance and establishing an identity of each food item of the plurality of food items. The method also includes determining a preferred storage condition of the chilled chamber based upon the identities of the plurality of food items and adjusting a current storage condition of the chilled chamber to about the preferred storage condition. Operating the chilled chamber of the refrigerator appliance at the preferred storage condition can improve a useful life of food items within the chilled chamber.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present subject matter relates generally to refrigerator appliances.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Refrigerator appliances generally include a cabinet that defines achilled chamber for receipt of food items for storage. Refrigeratorappliances can also include various combinations of drawers, shelves,and bins positioned within the chilled chamber to assist with storingfood items therein. Drawers within the chilled chamber can be designedto facilitate storage of certain food articles. Thus, certain drawerscan be designed for storing fruits or vegetables, and other drawers canbe designed for storing dairy products, such as cheese.

Food items have a limited useful life and can spoil within the chilledchamber. Such waste can be expensive and inconvenient. Thus, certainrefrigerator appliances include features for improving the useful lifeof food items within the refrigerator appliance's chilled chamber. Forexample, certain drawers can be sealed or can include an airflowcontroller that a user can manually adjust to regulate the humiditywithin the drawer. However, manually adjusting such airflow controllerscan be inconvenient and imprecise. Alternatively, certain refrigeratorappliances include dual-evaporators for more precisely controlling atemperature within the chilled chamber. Certain other refrigeratorappliances include a gas discharge system for adjusting a gas content ofthe refrigerator appliance's drawer. Other refrigerator appliancesinclude LEDs where a wavelength of light from the LEDs is adjustable.Such systems are designed to improve the useful life of food itemswithin their respective refrigerator appliances but generally offerlimited effectiveness. In particular, such systems are generally limitedto a particular type of food item and offer limited improvement forother types of food items.

Accordingly, a method for storing food items within a chilled chamber ofthe refrigerator appliance such that a useful life of food items isincreased would be useful. In particular, a method for storing mixedloads of food items within a chilled chamber of the refrigeratorappliance such that a useful life of such food items is increased wouldbe useful.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present subject matter provides a method for storing food itemswithin a refrigerator appliance. The method includes placing a pluralityof food items within a chilled chamber of the refrigerator appliance andestablishing an identity of each food item of the plurality of fooditems. The method also includes determining a preferred storagecondition of the chilled chamber based upon the identities of theplurality of food items and adjusting a current storage condition of thechilled chamber to about the preferred storage condition. Operating thechilled chamber of the refrigerator appliance at the preferred storagecondition can improve a useful life of food items within the chilledchamber. Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be setforth in part in the following description, or may be apparent from thedescription, or may be learned through practice of the invention.

In a first exemplary embodiment, a method for storing food items withina refrigerator appliance having a chilled chamber is provided. Themethod includes placing a plurality of food items within the chilledchamber of the refrigerator appliance, establishing an identity of eachfood item of the plurality of food items, determining a preferredstorage condition of the chilled chamber of the refrigerator appliancebased upon the identities of the plurality of food items, and adjustinga current storage condition of the chilled chamber of the refrigeratorappliance to about the preferred storage condition.

In a second exemplary embodiment, a refrigerator appliance is provided.The refrigerator appliance includes a cabinet that defines a chilledchamber and a drawer positioned within the chilled chamber of thecabinet. The drawer defines a storage volume configured for receipt offood items for storage. A compressor is positioned within the cabinet.An evaporator is positioned within the chilled chamber of the cabinetadjacent the drawer. The compressor is in fluid communication with theevaporator in order to supply the evaporator with refrigerant. Acontroller is in communication with the compressor. The controller isconfigured for establishing an identity of each food item within thestorage volume of the drawer, determining a preferred storage conditionof the storage volume of the drawer based upon the identities of fooditems within the storage volume of the drawer, and adjusting operationof the compressor in order to increase or decrease a supply ofrefrigerant to the evaporator and to assist with changing a currentstorage condition of the storage volume of the drawer to about thepreferred storage condition.

In a third exemplary embodiment, a method for storing food items withina refrigerator appliance having a drawer disposed within a chilledchamber of the refrigerator appliance is provided. The drawer defines astorage volume. The method includes placing a plurality of food itemswithin the storage volume of the drawer, establishing an identity ofeach food item of the plurality of food items, and determining apreferred storage condition of the storage volume of the drawer basedupon the identities of the plurality of food items. The method alsoincludes and adjusting at least one of a temperature of the storagevolume, a humidity of the storage volume, a wavelength or an intensityof light within the storage volume, or a composition of gas within thestorage volume in order to shift the storage volume of the drawer from acurrent storage condition to about the preferred storage condition.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the presentinvention will become better understood with reference to the followingdescription and appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which areincorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrateembodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serveto explain the principles of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention, including thebest mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is setforth in the specification, which makes reference to the appendedfigures, in which:

FIG. 1 provides a perspective view of a refrigerator appliance accordingto an exemplary embodiment of the present subject matter.

FIG. 2 provides a perspective view of the refrigerator appliance of FIG.1 with doors of the refrigerator appliance shown in an open position.

FIG. 3 provides a schematic view of the refrigerator appliance of FIG.1.

FIG. 4 illustrates a method for storing food items within a refrigeratorappliance according to an exemplary embodiment of the present subjectmatter.

FIG. 5 illustrates a method for storing food items within a drawer of arefrigerator appliance according to an exemplary embodiment of thepresent subject matter.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference now will be made in detail to embodiments of the invention,one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Eachexample is provided by way of explanation of the invention, notlimitation of the invention. In fact, it will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be madein the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit ofthe invention. For instance, features illustrated or described as partof one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield a stillfurther embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present inventioncovers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of theappended claims and their equivalents.

FIG. 1 provides a front, elevation view of a refrigerator appliance 100according to an exemplary embodiment of the present subject matter withrefrigerator doors 128 of refrigerator appliance 100 shown in a closedposition. FIG. 2 provides a front view of refrigerator appliance 100with refrigerator doors 128 shown in an open position to reveal a freshfood chamber 122 of refrigerator appliance 100.

Refrigerator appliance 100 includes a cabinet or housing 120 thatextends between a top 101 and a bottom 102 along a vertical direction V.Housing 120 defines chilled chambers for receipt of food items forstorage. In particular, housing 120 defines fresh food chamber 122positioned at or adjacent top 101 of housing 120 and a freezer chamber124 arranged at or adjacent bottom 102 of housing 120. As such,refrigerator appliance 100 is generally referred to as a bottom mountrefrigerator. It is recognized, however, that the benefits of thepresent disclosure apply to other types and styles of refrigeratorappliances such as, e.g., a top mount refrigerator appliance or aside-by-side style refrigerator appliance. Consequently, the descriptionset forth herein is for illustrative purposes only and is not intendedto be limited in any aspect to any particular refrigerator chamberconfiguration.

Refrigerator doors 128 are rotatably hinged to an edge of housing 120for selectively accessing fresh food chamber 122. In addition, a freezerdoor 130 is arranged below refrigerator doors 128 for selectivelyaccessing freezer chamber 124. Freezer door 130 is coupled to a freezerdrawer (not shown) slidably mounted within freezer chamber 124.

Turning now to FIG. 2, various storage components are mounted withinfresh food chamber 122 to facilitate storage of food items therein aswill be understood by those skilled in the art. In particular, thestorage components include bins 140, drawers 142, and shelves 144 thatare mounted within fresh food chamber 122. Bins 140, drawers 142, andshelves 144 are configured for receipt of food items (e.g., beveragesand/or solid food items) and may assist with organizing such food items.As an example, drawers 142 can receive fresh food items (e.g.,vegetables, fruits, and/or cheeses) with a storage volume 143 defined byeach drawer 142. As discussed in greater detail below, refrigeratorappliance 100 also includes features for increasing a useful life offood items within fresh food chamber 122, e.g., within storage volume143 of drawers 142.

FIG. 3 provides a schematic view of refrigerator appliance 100. As maybe seen in FIG. 3, refrigerator appliance 100 includes a sealedrefrigeration system 168 for executing a vapor compression cycle forcooling air within refrigerator appliance 100, e.g., within fresh foodchamber 122 and/or storage volume 143 of drawers 142. Sealedrefrigeration system 168 includes a compressor 170, a condenser 172, anexpansion device 174, and an evaporator 176 connected in series andcharged with a refrigerant. As will be understood by those skilled inthe art, refrigeration system 168 may include additional components,e.g., at least one additional evaporator, compressor, expansion device,and/or condenser. As an example, refrigeration system 168 may includetwo evaporators.

Within refrigeration system 168, gaseous refrigerant flows intocompressor 170, which operates to increase the pressure of therefrigerant. This compression of the refrigerant raises its temperature,which is lowered by passing the gaseous refrigerant through condenser172. Within condenser 172, heat exchange with ambient air takes place soas to cool the refrigerant and cause the refrigerant to condense to aliquid state.

Expansion device (e.g., a valve, capillary tube, or other restrictiondevice) 174 receives liquid refrigerant from condenser 172. Fromexpansion device 174, the liquid refrigerant enters evaporator 176. Uponexiting expansion device 174 and entering evaporator 176, the liquidrefrigerant drops in pressure and vaporizes. Due to the pressure dropand phase change of the refrigerant, evaporator 176 is cool relative tofresh food and freezer chambers 122 and 124 of refrigerator appliance100. As such, cooled air is produced and refrigerates fresh food andfreezer chambers 122 and 124 of refrigerator appliance 100. Thus,evaporator 176 is a type of heat exchanger which transfers heat from airpassing over evaporator 176 to refrigerant flowing through evaporator176.

Refrigerator appliance 100 also includes a light source 162. Lightsource 162 is configured for directing light into fresh food chamber 122and/or storage volume 143 of drawers 142. Light source 162 may be anysuitable light emitting device. For example, light source 162 caninclude light emitting diodes, incandescent bulbs, fluorescent bulbs,and/or combinations thereof. Light source 162 may be positioned at anysuitable location within refrigerator appliance 100, e.g., within freshfood chamber 122 and/or storage volume 143 of drawers 142. Light fromlight source 162 can assist with increasing the useful life of fooditems within fresh food chamber 122, e.g., within storage volume 143 ofdrawers 142, as discussed in greater detail below.

Refrigerator appliance 100 further includes a gas source 164. Gas source164 is configured for directing a flow of gas into fresh food chamber122 and/or storage volume 143 of drawers 142. Gas source 164 may directany suitable gas into fresh food chamber 122 and/or storage volume 143of drawers 142. For example, gas source 164 can include canisterscontaining nitrogen gas, oxygen gas, carbon dioxide gas, ozone gas,argon gas, or combinations thereof. Gas source 164 may be positioned atany suitable location within refrigerator appliance 100, e.g., withincabinet 120. The flow of gas from gas source 164 into fresh food chamber122 and/or storage volume 143 of drawers 142 can assist with increasingthe useful life of food items within fresh food chamber 122, e.g.,within storage volume 143 of drawers 142, as discussed in greater detailbelow.

Refrigerator appliance 100 also includes a humidity regulator 166.Humidity regulator 166 is configured for regulating and adjusting anamount of water vapor within fresh food chamber 122 and/or storagevolume 143 of drawers 142. Humidity regulator 166 can adjust a humidityof fresh food chamber 122 and/or storage volume 143 of drawers 142 byregulating a flow of air between a volume of relatively high humidityair and a volume of relatively low humidity air. Thus, humidityregulator 166 can include a valve positioned between such volumes andselectively adjustable to adjust a flow of air between the volumes. Asan example, fresh food chamber 122 can have a relatively low humidityrelative to storage volume 143 of drawers 142, e.g., due to water vaporcondensing on evaporator 176 during operation of refrigeration system168. Thus, humidity regulator 166 can adjust the humidity within storagevolume 143 of drawers 142 by selectively adjusting a flow of air betweenfresh food chamber 122 and storage volume 143 of drawers 142.Controlling the humidity within fresh food chamber 122 and/or storagevolume 143 of drawers 142 can assist with increasing the useful life offood items within fresh food chamber 122, e.g., within storage volume143 of drawers 142, as discussed in greater detail below.

Refrigerator appliance 100 further includes user inputs 152 and acontroller 150. Operation of the refrigerator appliance 100 is regulatedby controller 150 that is operatively coupled to user inputs 152. In oneexemplary embodiment, the user interface panel 136 may represent ageneral purpose I/O (“GPIO”) device or functional block. In anotherexemplary embodiment, the user interface 136 may include inputcomponents, such as one or more of a variety of electrical, mechanicalor electro-mechanical input devices including rotary dials, pushbuttons, and touch pads. The user interface 136 may be in communicationwith controller 150 via one or more signal lines or shared communicationbusses. User inputs 152 provide selections for user manipulation of theoperation of refrigerator appliance 100. In response to usermanipulation of the user inputs 152, controller 150 operates variouscomponents of the refrigerator appliance 100. For example, controller150 is operatively coupled or in communication with compressor 170,light source 162, gas source 164, humidity regulator 166, such thatcontroller 150 can operate such components.

Controller 150 is also in communication with a thermal sensor 180, e.g.,a thermocouple or thermistor. Thermal sensor 180 may be positioned inone of fresh food chamber 122 and/or freezer chamber 124. Controller 150may receive a signal from thermal sensor 180 that corresponds to atemperature of fresh food chamber 122 and/or freezer chamber 124.

Controller 150 is also in communication with a camera 190. Camera 190may be any type of device suitable for capturing an image. As anexample, camera 190 may be a video camera or a digital camera with anelectronic image sensor, e.g., a charge coupled device (CCD) or a CMOSsensor. Camera 190 is in communication with controller 150 such thatcontroller 150 may receive a signal from camera 190 corresponding to theimage captured by camera 190.

Camera 190 may be positioned at any suitable location on or withinrefrigerator appliance 100. For example, refrigerator appliance 100 maybe positioned on refrigerator doors 128 and directed towards fresh foodchamber 122 such that camera 190 captures pictures of fresh food chamber122. In particular, camera 190 may be directed towards any particularone of or combination of bins 140, drawers 142, and shelves 144. Thus,camera 190 can capture pictures of one of bins 140, all of bins 140, oneof drawers 142, all of drawers 142, one of shelves 144, all of shelves144, or any suitable combination thereof. A plurality of cameras may berequired to capture a picture of the entire fresh food chamber 122.

Refrigerator appliance 100 also includes a scanner 195 for readingidentifiers, such as bar codes, QR codes, and/or RFID tags, mounted tofood items. Controller 150 is in communication with scanner 195 and isconfigured for receipt of a signal from scanner 195. The signal fromscanner 195 corresponds to an identity of a food item, e.g., withinfresh food chamber 122 and/or storage volume 143 of drawers 142. Thus,scanner 195 can assist controller 150 with identifying food items withinfresh food chamber 122 and/or storage volume 143 of drawers 142.

Controller 150 includes memory and one or more processing devices suchas microprocessors, CPUs or the like, such as general or special purposemicroprocessors operable to execute programming instructions ormicro-control code associated with operation of refrigerator appliance100. The memory can represent random access memory such as DRAM, or readonly memory such as ROM or FLASH. The processor executes programminginstructions stored in the memory. The memory can be a separatecomponent from the processor or can be included onboard within theprocessor. Alternatively, controller 150 may be constructed withoutusing a microprocessor, e.g., using a combination of discrete analogand/or digital logic circuitry (such as switches, amplifiers,integrators, comparators, flip-flops, AND gates, and the like) toperform control functionality instead of relying upon software.

Controller 150 may be positioned in a variety of locations throughoutrefrigerator appliance 100. Input/output (“I/O”) signals may be routedbetween controller 150 and various operational components ofrefrigerator appliance 100. The components of refrigeration system 168may be in communication with controller 150 via one or more signal linesor shared communication busses.

FIG. 4 illustrates a method 400 for storing food items within arefrigerator appliance according to an exemplary embodiment of thepresent subject matter. Refrigerator appliance 100, e.g., controller150, (FIG. 3) may be configured or programmed to implement method 400.As discussed in greater detail below, utilizing method 400 can assistwith increasing the useful life of food items within fresh food chamber122, e.g., within storage volume 143 of drawers 142.

At step 410, a user can place a plurality of food items within a chilledchamber, e.g., fresh food chamber 122 or freezer chamber 124 ofrefrigerator appliance 100. As an example, the user can load an orangeand a head of lettuce within fresh food chamber 122.

At step 420, controller 150 establishes an identity of each food item ofthe plurality of food items loaded into the chilled chamber. To identifyeach food item at step 420, controller 150 can receive an image fromcamera 190 and analyze the image in order to establish an identity ofeach food item. For example, the image from camera 190 can show anorange and a head of lettuce within fresh food chamber 122.Alternatively, the user can utilize user input 152 to manually input anidentity for each food item. For example, controller 150 can receive asignal from user input 150 or scanner 195 corresponding to an identityof a food item within fresh food chamber 122. For example, the user canutilize user input 152 to signal controller 150 that an orange and ahead of lettuce are positioned within fresh food chamber 122.

At step 430, controller 150 determines a preferred storage condition ofthe chilled chamber based upon the identities of the plurality of fooditems established at step 420. The preferred storage condition canselected at step 430 in order to increase a storage life of the fooditems within the chilled chamber of the refrigerator appliance relativeto the current storage condition. For example, a head of lettuce canhave an optimum storage condition of about thirty-two degrees Fahrenheitand about ninety-eight percent relative humidity. Conversely, an orangecan have an optimum storage condition of about thirty-five degreesFahrenheit and about ninety percent to about ninety-five percentrelative humidity. In particular, oranges can be damaged if stored atabout thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit. Thus, if an orange and a head oflettuce are positioned within fresh food chamber 122, controller 150 candetermine a preferred storage condition for fresh food chamber 122 ofgreater than about thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit and greater than aboutninety-five percent relative humidity for the orange and the head oflettuce within fresh food chamber 122.

At step 440, controller 150 adjusts a current storage condition of thechilled chamber to about the preferred storage condition. In particular,controller 150 can modify ambient conditions of the chilled chamber atstep 440 in order to adjust the current storage condition of the chilledchamber to about the preferred storage condition. In order to adjust thecurrent storage condition of the chilled chamber to about the preferredstorage, controller 150 can altering a temperature of the chilledchamber of the refrigerator appliance, modifying a humidity of thechilled chamber of the refrigerator appliance, changing a wavelength oran intensity of light within the chilled chamber of the refrigeratorappliance, and/or varying a composition of ambient gas within thechilled chamber of the refrigerator appliance.

As an example, to alter the temperature of fresh food chamber 122,controller 150 can activate or deactivate refrigeration system 168 ofrefrigerator appliance 100. In particular, controller 150 can adjustoperation of compressor 170 in order to increase or decrease a supply ofrefrigerant to evaporator 176 and adjust the temperature of fresh foodchamber 122. In such a manner, controller 150 can assist with changingthe current storage condition of fresh food chamber 122 to about thepreferred storage condition.

To modify the humidity of fresh food chamber 122, controller 150 canactuate humidity regulator 166. Similarly, to change the wavelengthand/or the intensity of light within fresh food chamber 122, controller150 can adjust light source 162. Further, to vary a composition ofambient gas within fresh food chamber 122, controller 150 can increaseor decrease a flow of gas from gas source 164 to fresh food chamber 122.

By adjusting the current storage condition of the chilled chamber toabout the preferred storage condition at step 440, method 400 can assistwith improving the useful life of food items within fresh food chamber122, e.g., within storage volume 143 of drawers 142. For example, whenfresh food chamber 122 contains food items with various optimum storageconditions, method 400 can adjust the current storage condition of freshfood chamber 122 to about the preferred storage condition in order tomaximize the useful life of such food items despite their differentidentifies and potentially dissimilar optimum storage conditions.

FIG. 5 illustrates a method 500 for storing food items within a drawerof a refrigerator appliance according to an exemplary embodiment of thepresent subject matter. Refrigerator appliance 100, e.g., controller150, (FIG. 3) may be configured or programmed to implement method 500.As discussed in greater detail below, utilizing method 500 can assistwith increasing the useful life of food items within storage volume 143of drawers 142.

At step 510, a plurality of food items is placed within storage volume143 of drawers 142. As an example, a user can load food items intostorage volume 143 of drawers 142 at step 510. At step 520, controller150 establishes an identity of each food item of the plurality of fooditems from step 510. Like with method 400 (FIG. 4) described above,controller 150 can utilize camera 190 or receive signals from user input152 or scanner 195 at step 520 in order to establish the identity ofeach food item from step 510.

At step 530, controller 150 determines a preferred storage condition ofstorage volume 143 of drawers 142 based upon the identities of theplurality of food items within storage volume 143 of drawers 142established at step 520. The preferred storage condition can bedetermined at step 530 in order to increase a storage life of the fooditems within storage volume 143 of drawers 142 relative to the currentstorage condition. As an example, garlic can have an optimum storagecondition of about thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit and about sixty-fivepercent relative humidity. Conversely, onions can have an optimumstorage condition of about thirty-five degrees Fahrenheit and aboutseventy-five percent relative humidity. Thus, controller 150 candetermine a preferred storage condition of storage volume 143 of drawers142 having garlic and onions stored therein such that the temperature isgreater than about thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit and the humidity isgreater than about sixty-five percent relative humidity.

At step 540, controller 150 adjusts at least one (e.g., at least two,three, or all) of a temperature of storage volume 143, a humidity ofstorage volume 143, a wavelength or an intensity of light within storagevolume 143, or a composition of gas within storage volume 143 in orderto shift storage volume 143 of drawer 142 from a current storagecondition to about the preferred storage condition.

At step 540, controller 150 can activate or deactivate refrigerationsystem 168 in order to adjust the temperature of storage volume 143.Controller 150 can also alter light source 162 in order to adjust thewavelength or the intensity of light within storage volume 143 at step540. Further, controller 150 can increase or decrease a flow of gas fromgas source 164 in order to adjust the composition of gas within storagevolume 143 at step 540. In addition, controller 150 can adjust thehumidity within storage volume 143 by utilizing humidity regulator 166at step 540.

By adjusting the current storage condition of storage volume 143 toabout the preferred storage condition at step 540, method 500 can assistwith improving the useful life of food items within storage volume 143of drawers 142. For example, when storage volume 143 contains food itemswith various optimum storage conditions, method 500 can adjust thecurrent storage condition of storage volume 143 to about the preferredstorage condition in order to maximize the useful life of such fooditems despite their different identifies and potentially dissimilaroptimum storage conditions.

This written description uses examples to disclose the invention,including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in theart to practice the invention, including making and using any devices orsystems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope ofthe invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examplesthat occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intendedto be within the scope of the claims if they include structural elementsthat do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if theyinclude equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differencesfrom the literal languages of the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for storing food items within arefrigerator appliance having a chilled chamber, comprising: placing aplurality of food items within the chilled chamber of the refrigeratorappliance; establishing an identity of each food item of the pluralityof food items; determining a preferred storage condition of the chilledchamber of the refrigerator appliance based upon the identities of theplurality of food items; and adjusting a current storage condition ofthe chilled chamber of the refrigerator appliance to about the preferredstorage condition.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step ofadjusting comprises modifying ambient conditions of the chilled chamberof the refrigerator appliance.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein saidstep of adjusting comprises at least one of: altering a temperature ofthe chilled chamber of the refrigerator appliance; modifying a humidityof the chilled chamber of the refrigerator appliance; changing awavelength or an intensity of light within the chilled chamber of therefrigerator appliance; and varying a composition of ambient gas withinthe chilled chamber of the refrigerator appliance.
 4. The method ofclaim 3, wherein said step of altering comprises activating ordeactivating a refrigeration system of the refrigerator appliance. 5.The method of claim 3, wherein said step of changing comprises adjustinga light source positioned within the chilled chamber of the refrigeratorappliance.
 6. The method of claim 3, wherein said step of varyingcomprises increasing or decreasing a flow of gas from a gas source ofthe refrigerator appliance.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein thepreferred storage condition is selected in said step of determining inorder to increase a storage life of the food items within the chilledchamber of the refrigerator appliance relative to the current storagecondition.
 8. A refrigerator appliance, comprising: a cabinet thatdefines a chilled chamber; a drawer positioned within the chilledchamber of said cabinet, said drawer defining a storage volumeconfigured for receipt of food items for storage; a compressorpositioned within said cabinet; and an evaporator positioned within thechilled chamber of said cabinet, said compressor being in fluidcommunication with said evaporator in order to supply said evaporatorwith refrigerant; and a controller in communication with saidcompressor, said controller configured for establishing an identity ofeach food item within the storage volume of said drawer; determining apreferred storage condition of the storage volume of said drawer basedupon the identities of food items within the storage volume of saiddrawer; and adjusting operation of said compressor in order to increaseor decrease a supply of refrigerant to said evaporator and to assistwith changing a current storage condition of the storage volume of saiddrawer to about the preferred storage condition.
 9. The refrigeratorappliance of claim 8, further comprising a gas source configured forselectively directing a flow of gas into the storage volume of saiddrawer, said flow of gas comprising at least one of a nitrogen gas, anoxygen gas, a carbon dioxide gas, an ozone gas, and an argon gas,wherein said controller is in communication with said gas source andconfigured for activating said gas source in order to direct the flow ofgas into the storage volume of said drawer and to assist with changingthe current storage condition of the storage volume of said drawer toabout the preferred storage condition.
 10. The refrigerator appliance ofclaim 8, further comprising a humidity regulator mounted to said drawerand configured for selectively adjusting a flow of air between thestorage volume of said drawer and the chilled chamber of said cabinet,wherein said controller is in communication with said humidity regulatorand configured for adjusting said humidity regulator in order to changea humidity of the storage volume of said drawer and to assist withchanging the current storage condition of the storage volume of saiddrawer to about the preferred storage condition.
 11. The refrigeratorappliance of claim 8, further comprising a light source mounted withinthe chilled chamber of said cabinet, said light source configured fordirecting light into the storage volume of said drawer, said controllerin communication with said light source and configured for adjustingsaid light source in in order to change a wavelength or an intensity oflight emitted by said light source into the storage volume of saiddrawer and to assist with changing the current storage condition of thestorage volume of said drawer to about the preferred storage condition.12. The refrigerator appliance of claim 8, further comprising a cameramounted to said cabinet and directed towards the storage volume of saiddrawer, said controller being in communication with said camera andconfigured for receiving an image from said camera, the image from saidcamera assisting said controller with identifying food items within thestorage volume of said drawer during said step of establishing.
 13. Therefrigerator appliance of claim 8, further comprising a user inputmounted to said cabinet, said controller being in communication withsaid user input and configured for receipt of a signal from said userinput, the signal from said user input corresponding to an identity of afood item within the storage volume of said drawer and assisting saidcontroller with identifying each food item within the storage volume ofsaid drawer during said step of establishing.
 14. The refrigeratorappliance of claim 8, further comprising a scanner for readingidentifiers mounted to food items, said controller being incommunication with said scanner and configured for receipt of a signalfrom said scanner, the signal from said scanner corresponding to anidentity of a food item within the storage volume of said drawer andassisting said controller with identifying each food item within thestorage volume of said drawer during said step of establishing.
 15. Therefrigerator appliance of claim 8, wherein the preferred storagecondition is selected in said step determining in order to increase astorage life of food items within the storage volume of said drawerrelative to the current storage condition.
 16. A method for storing fooditems within a refrigerator appliance having a drawer disposed within achilled chamber of the refrigerator appliance, the drawer defining astorage volume, the method comprising: placing a plurality of food itemswithin the storage volume of the drawer; establishing an identity ofeach food item of the plurality of food items; determining a preferredstorage condition of the storage volume of the drawer based upon theidentities of the plurality of food items; and adjusting at least one ofa temperature of the storage volume, a humidity of the storage volume, awavelength or an intensity of light within the storage volume, or acomposition of gas within the storage volume in order to shift thestorage volume of the drawer from a current storage condition to aboutthe preferred storage condition.
 17. The method of claim 15, whereinsaid step adjusting comprises activating or deactivating a refrigerationsystem of the refrigerator appliance in order to adjust the temperatureof the storage volume.
 18. The method of claim 15, wherein said stepadjusting comprises altering a light source positioned within anddirecting light into the storage volume of the drawer in order to adjustthe wavelength or an intensity of light within the storage volume. 19.The method of claim 15, wherein said step adjusting comprises increasingor decreasing a flow of gas from a gas source of the refrigeratorappliance in order to adjust the composition of gas within the storagevolume.
 20. The method of claim 15, wherein the preferred storagecondition is selected in said step of determining in order to increase astorage life of the food items within the storage volume of the drawerrelative to the current storage condition.